Standing Out: 13 Ways To Differentiate Your Blog From The Masses

You’ve heard the saying, “Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings?” Well, every time the clock ticks another blog enters the blogosphere. Every second of every day another blog is born but don’t worry, there’s plenty of room for everyone. We’ll never really reach the last page of the Internet. The question is, though, with all those blogs out there, how do you make yours stand out from the crowd?

1. Be the first: It’s not easy finding an untapped niche but they’re out there. Look for new products, new trends and new ideas and be the first to blog about it.

2. Be unique: There may be a dozen other bloggers covering the same topic but you can always find a way to be unique. Blog from using your dog’s voice, use videos instead of text, if everybody’s for it, you be against it. Research the other blogs in your niche to find out what they’re doing and then do something completely unique.

3. Have a unique design: You don’t have to spend a fortune for a custom blog design. So many bloggers just pick a standard free theme and never change it. All it takes is a new header, a different background color, and maybe a few widgets and your blog will stand out from the crowd.

4. Be useful: So many bloggers just repeat what they see on other blogs. Take that information and make it useful for your readers. Don’t just quote facts, tell them how to use those facts to make their lives better.

5. Step outside your blog: Join social networks, do some guest blogging, publish on alternative platforms. The Internet is a huge place but people will sit up and take notice if they keep bumping into you every where they turn.

6. Focus on your readers: Don’t worry about the readers you don’t have, focus on the readers you do have and over-deliver every step of the way. Respond to their comments and emails, acknowledge them when you see them on Twitter and Facebook, give them a freebie every now and then and to out of your way to make them feel warm and welcome on your blog. If you focus on the readers you do have, they’ll bring new readers to you.

7. Be original: Don’t just repeat everything you see on other blogs. Find a way to make that information useful for your readers or take a controversial stand or look for a new angle or a new use for an old product. Be original.

8. Be opinionated: Nobody likes a wishy-washy blogger. Take a stand. Express your opinion. Even if you disagree with everyone else on the Web.

9. Use visualization: Use high-quality images, professional infographics, videos, charts and diagrams to help your readers visualize your message.

10. Get creative with your titles: Learn to write titles that grab the reader’s attention and draw them into your article.

11. Stick with it: Blogging frequently and consistently for the long-haul will increase your credibility with your readers and increase your authority with the search engines. Too many bloggers give up just when their blog is about to take off.

12. Build momentum: Always be looking for ways to capitalize on activity. For example, if one of your posts gets a surprisingly large amount of traffic, follow it up with another relevant post and start a series that keeps readers coming back day after day. If you see an unusually large number of comments, jump in there and start asking questions. One of your posts getting a lot of Tweets? Get in there and start Re-Tweeting.

13. Leverage your archives: Some of your best content is buried in your archives and your new visitors won’t see it unless you tell them where to find it. Feature popular older content in your sidebar and use internal links and a related posts plug-in to send readers to your archives.

I hate to end on Lucky Number 13, but it’s such a catchy number to have in the title. So how ’bout it? Share one of your own tips that makes your blog stand out from the crowd.

When you're learning how to make money with a blog, you need to understand that the very first step is to create a website. If you're interested in starting your own blog, I have written a step-by-step guide that will show you how to start a blog and make money for as little as $3.49 per month (this low price is guaranteed only through my link). You will also receive your own domain name for free ($15 value) by clicking on this link and purchasing at least 12 months of hosting with BlueHost. Keep in mind that if you're learning how to blog online for money, the first thing you need is your own self-hosted website. It will help you look more professional in front of your visitors, clients, companies, and everyone else.

These are top notch tips that will definitely help propel you as a blogger. I like the build momentum tip. I never thought of doing that, but I can see the benefits of following it up with another relevant blog that will receive the same benefits. Thanks for these great tips!

Thanks for these tips, as a new blogger they’re really useful for someone like me. I really like #8 and #12 in particular. I do like to voice my opinion but I worry about doing it and appearing controversial, I don’t want to put people off when I’ve only just started!